The devil is, as ever, in the details. Saleh gave no indication when he’d sign such a deal, and several previous deals have collapsed at the last minute when Saleh refused to sign over some minor disagreement.

And even if it is completed the new Hadi regime’s ability to bring the rest of the nation into the fold is very much in doubt. The US is fine with the military commander taking over, but the protest movement that’s been calling for free elections will likely see the replacement of the faltering Saleh as just another shuffle aimed at keeping the dictatorship intact.